


Always Enough

by chatnoirre



Series: Always Enough [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Ladybug - Freeform, Marinette - Freeform, chat noir - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-05-15 15:27:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5790760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chatnoirre/pseuds/chatnoirre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nothing was ever enough. He was never enough.</p><p>No matter how many times he brought home straight A's, raving reviews from his Chinese, Fencing, and Violin teachers, or was put on the cover of a magazine, it was never enough for his father. </p><p>How can Adrien learn to live for himself, rather than for his father? With Marinette's help, of course.<br/>It all starts when Chat fails to chase Ladybug, and ends up on Marinette's roof...</p><p>This is a series, # of parts not yet known.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Never Enough

**Author's Note:**

> Word Count: 2620  
> Chapter 1/?

Nothing was ever enough. He was never enough.

No matter how many times he brought home straight A's, raving reviews from his Chinese, Fencing, and Violin teachers, or was put on the cover of a magazine, it was never enough for his father.  
  
Today had been one of those days. The report card for the term had been handed out at the end of school, and Adrien was pleased to see perfect scores next to his name. Adrien knew his father would be pleased.  
  
"Congratulations, Adrien." His teacher smiled as she handed him the results.  
  
"Merci." Adrien grinned. For once, he couldn't wait to get home to see his father's reaction.  
  
Boy, had he been wrong.  
  
Not even he hint of a smile graced his father's lips. The most Adrien ever received was a curt nod.  
  
Adrien wanted to tear his hair out. What more could he do? How could he be more perfect? He already spent little time with his friends and basically had no social life. What else could he do?  
  
The moment his father was out of the room so was Adrien. He tore upstairs into his bedroom, locking the door as he went. He flung his backpack onto his bed and yanked Plagg out of his pocket.  
  
"Hey! I'm small and fragile! And hungry! Be more careful!" Plagg complained. Adrien let up on his grip, almost unapologetically.  
"Plagg, transform me!"  
  
Plagg stared at him for a moment with hidden emotion behind his eyes.  
  
"Fine." Plagg sighed. For once, he didn't haggle for cheese. Adrien was grateful. His only escape was Chat Noir.  
  
The exhilaration of the transformation filled his bones and soon enough he was Chat Noir. Then he was flying. Flying over the buildings of Paris, barely touching the tops as he danced across Paris. The dance could distract him for a time, but not forever. Soon, his thoughts caught up to him. With each failure, Adrien just wanted to give up. He wanted to kill off Adrien. He wanted to be free. But he couldn't. As much as he wanted to, he knew that he couldn't give up. Because part of him, just a tiny part of him was doing this for himself. And that part was enough. Nevertheless, transformations became more and more frequent as time went on.  
  
"If only I could be Chat all the time." He thought to himself, continuing his dance over Paris. Chat's attention is claimed by a flash of red approximately 30 meters ahead of him.  
  
"Ladybug?"  
  
Was this a miracle? Was this exactly what Chat had been looking for? To talk to Ladybug?  
  
He needed to talk to someone. That was for sure.  
  
Chat was already in pursuit before his mind could catch up with him. He could barely keep up with her, she was fast! She always stayed 30 meters ahead of him. He wanted to call out to her, but he doubted she would hear him.  
  
After about five minutes of pursuit, he turned a corner only to find that Ladybug had disappeared. Chat came to a halt, but in the process of doing so, he tripped over his own two feet.  
  
"Ack!" He called out, catching the railing of the building he was about to fall off. He heard a startled gasp.  
  
"Chat Noir?" The girl called out. He wanted to groan. This was not the best impression that a superhero could make to a civilian.  
  
"Oui," Chat huffed as he pulled himself up with all the upper body strength he could muster. He caught his breath and looked up at the girl, realizing it was Marinette.  
"Marinette." He breathed. A small, yet breathtaking smile graced her lips.  
  
"Oui." She imitated. She was clad in her usual getup, as if she didn't feel the crisp fall air in the slightest.  
  
"Aren't you cold, purrincess?" The pun rolled off Chat's tongue easily. Marinette rolled her eyes.  
  
"Really? I haven't seen you since you saved me from Max and this is the first thing you do-- you use a pun on me?"  
  
"It comes naturally." He shrugged. Silence fell. Chat looked at a nearby plant and took a deep breath. He could feel Marinette's crystal blue eyes on his face.  
  
"What are you doing on my roof, aside from nearly falling to your death?" Marinette finally asked. Chat looked back up at her.  
  
"Well, I was following Ladybug. I saw her and was trying to chase her down, but she got away. Did you see her?"  
  
"She went that way." Marinette pointed to her right without taking her eyes off of Chat.  
  
"I guess she's just too fast." Chat sighed. "Well Princess, I better get going. I don't want to keep you in this cold weather wearing that jacket. It's not nearly long enough or warm enough." Chat jumped onto the ledge of her balcony, preparing to leave without so much as a proper goodbye. He needed to fly again.  
  
"Wait, Chat Noir!" Marinette called, startling him.  
  
"Oui?" He skillfully turned around, keeping his balance. She could tell something was off. He wasn't his normal, cocky self. That's what tipped her off first. But then she saw his eyes. It was all in his eyes. He was in despair.  
  
"Are you alright?" Her eyes pierced his very soul.  
  
"Of course." He lied. Could she see through him? Her eyes narrowed. Of course she could. She was Marinette, after all. The sweetest and kindest person Adrien had met to date. Even more so than his lady.  
  
"No offense, Chaton, but you look like you're about to fall apart. I know I'm not Ladybug, and you were probably chasing her to have a little chat, but I can lend you an ear." Did he really look that fragile, or was it just Marinette Dupein-Cheng's magical powers when it came to people? Everyone except Adrien, that is.  
Chat considered his options. Originally he had wanted to talk to Ladybug, but the lady in question was always hesitant to talk about their civilian lives, even if they didn't get into specifics. Would she even have heard him out?  
  
Marinette, on the other hand, was a good listener. He knew it. He knew she would hear him out, and wouldn't judge. She might even have good advice.  
"Chat, I won't make you stay. I just... I want to help." Marinette interrupted his thoughts. She could sense his reluctance. He may have preferred to talk to Ladybug, but this was the best she could do for the moment.  
  
"I will gladly accept your invitation." Chat finally spoke after his slight hesitation. Marinette gave him another small smile and gestured to the hatch leading to her room.  
"Like you said, it's cold. Let's go inside." She was glad she hadn't put up her Adrien posters back up after their video game training a month back. If people kept coming into her room without any notice, she would probably never put them back up ever again.  
  
She opened the hatch for Chat and let him drop onto her bed first, then she followed, being sure to use the ladder and appear as "civilian" as possible. By the time she got to the bottom, Chat was already sitting cross-legged on her bed, looking nervous as he was upset. Marinette sat across from him, trying to analyze his rigid posture. She'd never seen Chat like this. Not as Ladybug and definitely not as Marinette. She sighed, knowing she was going to have to start this conversation. Chat watched her reach under the bed and pull out two fluffy blankets. She chucked one in his general direction, then wrapped the other one around herself.  
  
"So where does this all begin, kitty?" Chat cocked an eyebrow. He wasn't sure how he felt about his new nickname.  
  
"Shhh. Just tell me what's up." She cooed. No more distractions.  
  
Chat sighed.  
  
"I guess... it all starts with my father." Chat struggled to find the words. He looked back up to Marinette as if asking for permission to go on. She nodded.  
And then his mouth was flying, just as he had across Paris tonight. He told her about the time when he was ten and his father left him for two weeks, forbidding him to go outside and leaving only one staff member to watch over him. He told her about the occasion he tripped during an important event (it was on the runway, but telling Marinette that little detail would reveal his identity) and was scolded by his father. He told her everything, everything he'd been bottling up for so many years. Everything that had happened since his mother... well, disappeared. Even as he spoke it, he relived it. He was being ripped apart all over again. He couldn't hold back the tears.  
  
Why did his father even keep him if he didn't care for him? Why? Why would he put all these pressures on Adrien, if not only for the Agreste image? Why did everyone Adrien ever hold close turn against him or disappear? And most of all, why was Ladybug so cold to him, when he needed her the most?  
  
"I don't think he even loves me Marinette." Adrien finished quietly, finally getting a better handle on his tears. He finally looked up after staring at his hands for a very long time. He was surprised to find tears in Marinette's eyes too.  
  
"Oh Chat," She whispered, hands over her mouth as if trying to hide her emotions.  
  
"M-marinette?" No one had ever cried for him before, and he wasn't sure how to handle it. It was hard to even handle his crying self. It was a very rare thing.  
  
"Oh Chat," She repeated before closing the distance between them and hugging him close. She was so short that he was able to rest his chin on the top of her head.  
  
He couldn't recall a time where he had received a hug quite like this-- so sincere and serene. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her. It was foreign to him. He had been right about going to Marinette in the end. This is exactly what he needed. They sat like that for longer than Chat could count, Marinette shaking under him as she tried to put a cap on her own emotions. She wanted to hit herself. Chat was the one who needed to cry tonight. Not her. Yet here she was. But she just couldn't take it.  
  
"I don't know how someone could treat you that way, Chat. You're so sweet and wonderful, always putting yourself in danger to protect others, always so positive and optimistic! Why would your own father treat you so coldly? I can't say why he treats you the way he does, Chat, but I know that somewhere deep down he does love you. Every parent does to a degree. I promise." Marinette mumbled into his shoulder.  
  
"Don't let everything you've done go to waste Chat. Even if it's not for him anymore. It's time to live for you." She continued, her voice falling into a whisper as she tapered off.  
Could he do it? Could Adrien live for himself for once? Even Chat had problems with that. Everything he did, it was hardly ever for himself. Could he be selfish?  
  
"Am I allowed to be selfish Marinette?" He whispered back. His chin jerked up slightly as she pulled her head back, eyes wide.  
  
"Of course you are, Chat Noir! Your entire existence has been one big act of selflessness. Don't you deserve the happy ending too?"  
  
"I'd like to think I do." He agreed. His eyes were softer now. More resolute. Marinette smiled at this.  
  
"There you go kitty, there's your answer. Your eyes tell me so." It was his turn for his eyes to go wide.  
  
"My eyes?"  
  
"That's how I could tell you were being torn apart tonight. Your eyes. They told me everything." She confirmed. Marinette was much more observant than Chat ever gave her credit for.  
  
"Thank you, Marinette. The boy behind the mask thanks you, too." He shifted under his blanket, pulled Marinette back into his embrace. How did he go for sixteen years without any hugs like this? It was going to be addicting.  
  
"Can we stay like this for a little while longer? I don't often get hugs, you see."  
  
"Any time Chat. As long as you want." Chat took a mental note of her offer. He might use that again soon.  
  
"Thank you, Marinette," He whispered again, pulling her even closer. Marinette sighed against his shoulder. Who knew that her kitty could have gone through all of this, especially when he acted like he didn't have a care in the world?  
  
They stayed in each other’s arms for hours, until it was completely dark. With this long night of confessions and embracing, Chat felt like he could go back to being Adrien. But how long could he keep it up? 

  
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Adrien contemplated how to act around Marinette when he got to school. He knew he should just act like himself, but was unsure if he could bring himself to do it. After all, last night had been so... intimate. Part of him worried that Marinette had pieced together all of the clues he’d given to her the previous night. Another part of him worried that she would recognize him after embracing for so long. But he knew logically neither of these arguments held much validity. He had been careful not to get too specific with his ranting, and he doubted that Marinette would figure out who he was. No one wanted Adrien to be Chat Noir, after all. It just wouldn’t make sense to them. How could the perfect, golden child be a superhero, especially a mischievous one like Chat Noir? After the millionth sigh and the limo driver giving him wary looks, he finally made it to school. He clambered toward the classroom, returning the waves of his schoolmates as he passed by. When he finally reached the door, he halted, a sudden unnecessary panic building up inside of him.  
You are Chat Noir. Adrien Agreste. Act like it. If not for yourself, then for her.  
  
He took a deep breath and entered the room. Surprisingly, Marinette was already in her seat. She was hardly ever on time. She and Alya were talking animatedly about something, which gave Adrien the perfect opportunity to slide into his seat unnoticed. Adrien felt his face flush. Marinette was right behind him. Why was he feeling so embarrassed?  
  
“Good morning Adrien?” Alya’s voice chimed. He flipped around, perfect grin placed on his face.  
  
“Is that a question?”  
  
“Yes. Because usually, you’re the one who says good morning to us.” She cocked an eyebrow.  
  
“You two looked busy.” He reasoned. Alya just laughed, then turned to Nino who had just taken his own seat.  
  
“A-adrien?” Adrien smiled as he turned toward Marinette. At least she was as nervous around him as he was feeling around her.  
  
“Yes, Marinette?” He forced his eyes to meet hers, which ended up being a big mistake. She immediately took everything in. He could tell.  
  
“Are you okay?” She asked carefully. If he hadn’t been so distracted by the look of complete and utter compassion and worry in her eyes, he would have realized she had strung together a complete sentence in his presence. He knew the answer he should give her. “Of course.” But somehow it didn’t seem right to lie to Marinette.  
  
“I will be.” He surprised himself as the words flew out of his mouth, and he ended with a smile. Marinette smiled back at him. He would be okay. And it was all thanks to Marinette.


	2. Sometimes Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, Adrien feels like what he does is enough.  
> But only when he's Chat.
> 
> Word Count: 3,683  
> Chapter: 2/?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if I'll be able to update until weekends, so here's a release before the weekend!

“Your father will be out of town for the next two weeks, Adrien. He left this morning and instructed that I let you know.” Nathalie had woken Adrien up an hour early to deliver the news. 

“Thanks.” Adrien moaned groggily. Nathalie curtly nodded, then walked away in her usual stiff manner. Adrien wondered why Nathalie hadn’t gone with his father this time. He shrugged and closed his door, clambering back into bed. Maybe this was just the chance he needed to learn how to live for himself. But where would he even start?

“Uhmnh,” Plagg groaned incoherently. 

“Plagg, where should I even start?”

“Hmmm?”

“You know, what Marinette suggested. How do I live for me, instead of my dad?” Adrien stretched his arms out and then folded them behind his head, facing the ceiling.  
“Learn how to channel Chat Noir into Adrien,” Plagg suggested, seemingly more awake.

“What makes you say that?” 

“You love being Chat Noir. It makes you feel free. When you transform, I feel it too you know. I honestly think you’re more like Chat Noir on the inside than you are Adrien Agreste the model.” 

“Yeah, but how do I do that? How do I just channel Chat? I don’t know if I have that much confidence.” 

“Why don’t you ask Marinette? SHE seems to have the good ideas around here.” Plagg grumbled. Adrien wondered if he was jealous that Adrien didn’t question Marinette’s ideas. 

“Yeah, good idea. We’ll ask her.” Adrien agreed.

“WE?” Plagg already knew the answer.

“Yes. You. Me. Transformation. Chat Noir. Remember?” Adrien let out a tired chuckle. Waking up early just to hear his father was gone yet again was so not worth it. Couldn’t Nathalie have left a note? Or maybe his father was just trying to rub it in his face, that he’d rather be gone than at home.

“No.” Adrien stopped his train of thought. He couldn’t think that way anymore. To hell with his father. It was time to live his own life.  
________________________  
After a long and grueling day of school, Marinette knew just what she needed-- to transform into Ladybug and let off some steam. Somehow she had managed to make a fool of herself in front of Adrien-- Again. 

She had noticed Adrien was quieter than usual as if something heavy was weighing on his mind. She wanted to offer her support and help in any way she could but ended up saying something along the lines of, “You look like you’re in deep thought. Are you a philosopher?” instead of what she intended. Granted, she’d earned a chuckle from Adrien, not to mention the sentence had been 100% coherent, but she’d still made a fool of herself. 

Marinette let out a hefty sigh as she dropped her backpack onto her bed, wishing evening would come sooner so she could transform and disappear. The afternoon was too busy to risk transforming, especially with her parents running around. They generally kept to themselves in the evening. 

With all of her homework done, Marinette stared blankly at her wall, wondering what she could do to pass the time. Alya was working on a special for the Ladyblog and gave explicit instructions not to disturb her for the next twenty-four hours.  
Marinette could turn to her designing, but it just didn’t sound appealing at the moment. With all the antsiness Marinette felt, she knew she needed a mindless activity to channel all the nervous energy into. She flew to her computer chair and plugged in her game controller. Time to play. 

Right as she went in for the kill, a rap on her window shocked her into dropping the controller.

“YOU LOSE!” The computer screamed at her, and she groaned in frustration. Nevertheless, she turned around to face her guest. Of course it was Chat Noir. In broad daylight. She quickly opened the window to let him in before anyone saw.

“What are you doing, you silly cat? The paparazzi could see you in the daylight!” She scolded but didn’t seem overly upset. Chat shot her a large grin. 

“Well, I just had to see you. It couldn’t wait!” His tone seemed teasing, but Marinette knew better. He was dead serious. 

“Then let’s take a seat,” She suggested, pointing to her bed. Chat flung himself on the bed before Marinette could even take one step, making her chuckle. 

“So, what’s up kitty cat?” 

“I... recently received some advice. But I don’t know how to act on it.” Chat vaguely stated. 

“So you came to me?” Marinette snorted. She couldn’t believe that Chat made her his new guru. 

“I happen to take you very seriously, Marinette. I respect your opinion more than anyone else’s.” Marinette gulped. She knew he was serious, with the way he said her name slowly and deliberately. 

“Even more than Ladybug?” She attempted to tease, but even she could hear the surprise in her voice. 

“Yes.” There was no hesitation in his answer.

“Why, Chat? She’s your partner. Don’t you trust her more than anyone else?” Marinette knew she couldn’t pry, but she couldn’t help it-- the Ladybug in her had to know. Chat stared at the wall in quiet contemplation for a few moments.

“Of course I trust Ladybug, with my life. But there are some things I can’t go to her about. Not like I can with you. Lady prefers not to mention our civilian lives. I think if I went to her like I came to you last night, she probably wouldn’t have been able to help me. Because that’s just not how our relationship is.” 

Those words cut Marinette deeply. Not because Chat Noir felt like he couldn’t trust Ladybug with everything, but because she knew it was her fault. Ladybug had seen the pain in Chat Noir, but had ignored it for the sake of protecting her own identity, and inadvertently Chat Noir’s. It was selfish of her. She was selfish, and she wanted to cry. But she couldn’t. Not here, not now. 

“I’m sorry Chat. That’s awfully selfish of her.” Marinette looked down at her hands, voice barely above a whisper. It was all she could manage for the moment. She jumped a little when Chat took her hands in his gloved ones. 

“She’s one of the most selfless people I know. She has the right to be selfish in at least one way. If she wants to protect her identity, I’ll give that to her.” He made is sound so nonchalant, but Marinette knew how much it hurt him. Why did she have to be so selfish in the one area that hurt Chat the most? She knew, to an extent, how he felt about her, and all she did was hurt him over and over. 

“I’m sorry.” Marinette hummed quietly. She really didn’t know what else she could say. 

“It’s not for you to apologize,” Chat murmured. “But we got sidetracked. I’m coming to you for advice, remember?” Marinette nodded slowly, equally as eager as Chat to change the subject. 

“Yes, I remember. Go on.” 

“Well, I was asking my... friend how I should go about changing my life, and he told me to channel Chat Noir into my civilian identity. What do you think?” Marinette glanced up, surprised to see a nervous look about Chat Noir. She’d never seen him anxious before. 

“Well, who are you on the inside? Chat Noir, or Mr. Civilian?” Chat smiled at the nickname. 

“My friend thinks I’m more like Chat Noir, and honestly, I’m beginning to think that he’s right.” 

“Then why don’t you just be yourself? Be who you truly are?” The answered seemed simple to Marinette. Then again, she was a hypocrite. She could never be herself around Adrien. Whenever he was around, all the confidence Ladybug and Marinette shared seemed to dwindle into oblivion. 

“I’m afraid I’d scare off the people I hold dear,” He confessed. Marinette pouted.

“Well then they aren’t really your friends, are they? I’m sure they know that Mr. Civilian is expected to act a certain way, and they realize they haven’t seen the real him.” Marinette thought about Adrien as she spoke. There were moments when humor flashed through his eyes, and a slight cockiness lit up his features, but he always seemed to smother it. She wished he would just be himself. If Chat was going through anything close to what Adrien was... it made her sad to think about.  
Chat looked at her long and hard, as if he was trying to read her mind.

“There is one who is very perceptive. I’m sure she knows.” He agreed. 

“Then why not start with her? It can be an experiment.” Marinette suggested. Chat merely cocked an eyebrow.

“Well if you think you can trust her, and she already seems to know more than you’re letting on, then just go for it. Oh, I sound like a therapist.” Marinette frowned. 

“You’re the best therapist, I promise.” Chat winked at her. The cockiness was back, just as it should be with Chat Noir. He’d been far too serious lately. 

“Alas, if only I had an interest in pursuing psychology. Too bad I’m more into fashion.” She rolled her eyes. “To be honest, kitty, I think you could have figured this one out on your own.”

He immediately shook his head.

“I wouldn’t have. I needed to talk out my thoughts to get my answer.” 

“You could have talked to anyone.” She pointed out. Again he shook his head.

“No, Princess. It has to be you.” It chilled her, the way he looked at her. She suddenly felt awkward and flustered, much like she did around Adrien. 

“Erm, yeah. What are friends for? Yeah!” Marinette found herself babbling already. She smacked her forehead and shut her mouth. Chat merely chuckled. 

“Are you always this eloquent?” He teased, to which she responded with a groan. 

“No. Only really around a certain boy.”

“Not you,” she added when Chat’s grin got wider. 

“Oh, who is this lovely boy, may I ask?” 

“Who’s to say that I think he’s lovely?” Marinette felt uncomfortable talking about Adrien with Chat Noir, even if she had yet to mention Adrien’s name. 

“I’ll be the judge of that. Who’s this wonder man who has you so tongue-tied?” Marinette was relieved to see that Chat’s usual smirk had returned. Mission accomplished-- she had successfully distracted Chat Noir. 

“Fine. Adrien Agreste.” She mumbled.

“What’s that? I didn’t catch that.” She knew Chat was just playing with her. 

“Adrien Agreste,” She mumbled again.

“What’s that?” That sly cat. 

“I’m not saying it again, I know you heard me!” Marinette groaned, rolling off the side of the bed and falling to the floor. She couldn’t stand to see that self-satisfied grin. 

“The model, huh? It must be his good looks that do you in.” She’d never heard Chat compliment anyone other than himself. 

“We are not talking about this.” 

“If we don’t, that means I’m right!” 

“SHUT YOUR TRAP, KITTY CAT!” Marinette’s voice was muffled by her carpet. The sound of his laugh tickled her ears. 

“Just go home.” she mumbled. 

“Well, I would, but it’s just so fun to--” He was cut off by the explosion of shattering glass. Marinette let out a small “eep,” much too accustomed to situations like this to really be scared. She wasn’t surprised either when Chat leaped over her, trying to protect her. As soon as the quiet fell, Chat was on all fours, hovering over Marinette to protect her.

“Listen, Princess, I’d love to stay, but it looks like I’ve got an Akuma to fight.” In a single bound, he was right by the shattered exit of a window. 

“Please, just stay here. I know how you are, you’re going to want to check on everyone and ensure they’re safe. But Marinette, I need you safe. Just stay here. Promise me!” He glared at her knowingly, waiting for a response before he would leap into danger. Marinette let out a huff.

“Fine, Marinette will not leave here.” He cocked his head to the side at her choice in words, nevertheless saluted her and leaped out the window.

“But I didn’t say anything about Ladybug!” Marinette added as soon as she was sure he was out of earshot.

“Tiki, Spots on!” She chirped, and Tiki zoomed out from behind her hiding spot in Marinette’s bookshelf, complying immediately. In no time at all, Ladybug jumped out the window after Chat Noir. 

The Akuma wasn’t far from her house, as usual. She knew she was in the right place when she saws Chat Noir being flung down the block. 

“Chat Noir!” She called out, using her yoyo to bring her next to Chat.

“I wondered when you’d show up.” He frowned, much unlike the normal Chat Noir.

“What happened to your cheek? What are we dealing with here?” A long streak of blood was gushing down his cheek.

“You’re usually more careful, kitty cat.” She returned his frown, wiping her finger across his cheek to assess the damage. He inhaled sharply and let out a hiss, just as she had expected. 

“Some window washer. That’s what he called himself anyway. I think the Akuma is in his squeegee” Chat hissed again as he wiped the rest of the fresh blood from his cut. 

“How did you get cut by a squeegee?” Ladybug asked while she looked around for the akumatized victim. 

“He’s controlling all the glass shards. I swear he broke every window in Paris.” Sure enough, looking around the streets were absolutely covered in glass. Ladybug hardly had a second longer to think, because around the corner came a masked window washer, glass flying all around him. Ladybug winced, anticipating the pain that was to come. This was going to be a tough one. 

Chat and Ladybug dodged as best they could while trying to confirm that the Akuma was indeed in his squeegee. After a few minutes of getting seriously cut up, Chat had enough.

“Does it really matter if it’s in his squeegee? Just break everything he has! Break his overalls for all I care! I’m sick of getting cut up!” He hissed again and one of his cuts was sliced again. 

“Sorry Kitty! You’re right, let’s get this over with. Lucky Charm!” Since when had Ladybug called him kitty? 

He had no time to dwell on the thought because he had to try to distract the window washer while Ladybug did her thing. He kept her in his peripheral vision while he got up close and personal with the window washer, taunting him.

“You call this success? All you’ve done is cut me up! I’ve had villains do much worse to me. You’re pathetic.” Chat knew he didn’t have to say much to anger this dude. He flung himself in the opposite direction, trying to buy Ladybug some time. He let out a frustrated groan when he saw Ladybug holding a polka-dotted lasso, looking completely confused. The window washer seemed to notice her hesitation too because he turned his complete attention to Ladybug. Had Hawkmoth refocused the akumatized man? 

“Ladybug!” Chat leaped over the window washer and jumped in front of Ladybug, hoping to both protect her and buy her the time she needed. He heard her gasp and could only hope it was an “aha!” moment. Sure enough, a second later she had used the lasso to grab the squeegee, and pulled it right out of the unsuspecting man’s hands. Chat didn’t release his protective stance as she broke the squeegee, purified the Akuma and set the butterfly free. He kept his eye on the villain. Even when Ladybug used “Miraculous Ladybug” to clear up all the glass, Chat didn’t take his eye off the man. There was something about him that made Chat uneasy.

As soon as the man turned back into his normal self, Chat gasped.

“Pierre?” Chat whispered, low enough that Ladybug didn’t hear him. It was the Agreste’s elderly full-time window washer and Gardner. Pierre shook his head, looking disoriented.

“Chat Noir? Ladybug? Where am I? One moment I was standing in Gabriel Agreste’s office, and the next moment I’m here...” Chat froze. Wasn’t his father supposed to be out of town?

“What do you remember?” Ladybug asked Pierre as she offered him her hand, helping him off the ground. 

“Mr. Agreste told me I was being fired because of a broken window. I told him I didn’t break it, but he wouldn’t listen. The moment I had left the office building, I was angry, too angry for words, and the next thing I know, I’m right here with you two.” Chat tuned out after that point. 

It was Adrien, or rather, Chat, who had broken the window last night, completely by mistake as he was sneaking out of the second story. He was going to tell his father some convoluted story to cover it up, but his father had supposedly been out of town. And now, thanks to Adrien, Pierre had been fired. Aside from the guilt that was rising up within him, Adrien felt bothered. Why had his father lied about being out of town? Was he just running late? 

“Chat?” Ladybug’s hand on his shoulder startled him. Chat shook himself mentally and straightened up.

“Sorry, my lady. Even with the magic of “Miraculous Ladybug”, I’m still feeling the sting of those cuts.” It wasn’t a complete lie. His suit had been repaired, but he still felt the cuts underneath. Ladybug frowned. Chat Noir had taken the worst of it, especially while trying to protect her. Her miraculous beeped, indicating that she only had moments left.  
“You silly cat. Let some of us take the hits sometimes.” 

“But then how would you have been able to focus?” 

“I worry about you, Chat Noir. You know that, right? Go home and take care of those cuts.” She instructed, but not before she raised her fist for the traditional fist bump.

“Pound it!” They chanted in unison.

“Go home, okay?” She instructed again. He shook his head.

“I’ve got to check on a friend first.” 

“Fine, fine. Really Chat, thank you. You did good work today.” She smiled, before leaping off into the city. 

“Thank you Ladybug!” Pierre called after her. Chat turned his attention back to him.

“Listen, Pierre. I’ll do some digging and figure out who broke the window so you can get your job back. I know it’s important to you.”

“Thank you, Adrien.” Chat froze, and Pierre just chuckled. 

“I know it’s you. I promise not to tell. Don’t worry.” Pierre shook Chat’s hand and waved him off.

Chat took off into the city, going right back to Marinette’s. He was relieved to find the window not only repaired, but also already open for him. Marinette was back on her computer, playing the same game again.

“How’d it go?” She asked without looking away from her game. Her clothes hid all of her own cuts. 

“Ladybug did most of the work.” Chat chuckled. It was true, after all. Marinette paused the game to look at him, already knowing what she would find.

It still hurt her to see him with all the cuts. The cuts he had taken for her. The cuts that were still bleeding. They must be deeper than he was letting on. She felt her eyes widen. 

“Chat Noir.” She breathed out his name like a curse word. His ears flicked downward with the tone of her voice. She wasn’t happy and he knew it. 

“You stupid cat. You’re always taking the hits for everyone, especially her, and getting the worst of it! Honestly! You say she does all the work? You’re the one getting beat up!” She threw her hands up in the air, exasperated. 

“Marinette, relax. I promise I’m fine.” 

“No, you’re not! That cut on your cheek is nasty! And the one above your mask! Who’s to say there aren’t more under your suit! I’m going to get the first aid kit. Sit here like a good cat and I’ll patch up the ones I can see.” Marinette left the room before he had a chance to respond. 

Chat sighed but obeyed. He sat on her bed and thought over the last hour. It was a good thing that his father was “out of town,” because his father would not appreciate the scratches on Adrien’s face. Then again, maybe Adrien could make up a story about tripping into the window and breaking it, or something. Then Pierre could get his job back. Chat smiled. He’d be sure to do that the moment he got home.

Marinette came back a moment later with a wet towel, some antiseptic, and some bandages. She wiped the blood from his face and cleaned the wounds without a word. As she was putting on the bandages, Chat spoke up.

“Are you mad at me, Marinette?”

“What do you think?”

“Why? I’m just doing my job. I’m a superhero.” He reminded her. She finished applying the bandages and took a step back, looking him straight in the eye.

“I know Chat, but please be more careful. Treasure your own life and body a little bit more.” He nodded robotically, not really processing her words.

“You aren’t getting it. I was really worried about you Chat Noir!” She groaned and placed her hands on her hips.

“You were?”

“Of course I was! You’re always so reckless! But even then, you always get the job done. Good job, Chat.” She leaned forward to pat the top of his head but was caught off guard when he wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her palm down to kiss it.

“Thank you, Marinette. That’s exactly what I needed to hear.” He smiled a true smile, the first in many weeks. His smile only widened when Marinette began to fiercely blush. 

“I... You... Argh! You’re welcome, I guess. And if you ever have any more wounds, I’ll help out if I can!” She offered, trying to change the subject.

Maybe sometimes, just sometimes, what Adrien did as Chat was enough.


	3. More than Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Adrien and Chat Noir both have a bad day, but Mari's still to blind to make a connection.

Adrien hadn’t forgotten Marinette’s advice about experimenting with adding some Chat into Adrien. What Marinette didn’t know was that she was directly involved in the experiment. Chat had been talking about her. Adrien spent the entire weekend trying to brainstorm ideas of how he could be more Chat-like around Marinette. 

“You’ve always got cat puns!” Plagg offered, much to Adrien’s chagrin. Plagg was only in a talkative mood because of the cheese he was currently munching on. 

“I do enough of those as Chat, you’d think she’d pick up on that if Adrien started throwing them out there.” 

“How about puns in general, then?” 

“Hmmmm.” Adrien did like making the puns and getting a reaction out of Marinette, but it would be too dangerous to pull out some cat puns. 

“Okay fine. How about the suave and flirtatious part of Chat Noir? Which by the way, he wasn’t always like that... sometimes I wonder if it’s just you. Maybe it’s the model in you just dying to come out.” Plagg grinned. Adrien shot him a glare.

“Suave. I can do that. Right?” Adrien ignored half of Plagg’s comment. 

“I don’t know. You tend not to be so brave in front of the mask, if you know what I mean.” Plagg turned his attention to the remainder of the cheese while Adrien pulled on his normal t-shirt and button-up (left open, of course). 

“I can try, can’t I?” Adrien grunted, trying to focus on exuding confidence rather than the churning in his stomach. Why was he so nervous? Because it was Marinette, of course. Maybe he could practice on someone else... but that didn’t feel right. Why was Marinette always his civilian of choice whenever it came to something Chat related? 

She’s the only one who understands. She was willing to listen.

And maybe, just maybe there was a chance that she would accept Adrien as he really was-- the Chat Noir in him and all. 

Suave. Suave. Suave. Adrien repeated to himself as he rode to school in his limousine. His Gorilla of a chauffeur kept glancing back at him, something that was quite unusual. Did Adrien look nervous? 

He found Marinette talking to Nino and Alya on the steps of the school, sun shining on her hair and giving it a particularly raven shade of a reflection. Adrien decided to make this the compliment he would pay to Marinette. He strode right up to her, ignoring Nino and Alya, and tapped her shoulder. 

“Hey there Marinette. Your hair looks really hair-like today. I mean, your hair looks good.” Adrien wanted to facepalm himself right then and there, but kept his composure (as he had been trained to due to modeling). He flashed her a smile, hoping it was enough to distract her from his heinous mistake. 

“Thanks, Adrien. I actually got a new conditioner, maybe that’s it?” Marinette cocked her head to the side in confusion, while Adrien found himself turning red. It was so unlike Marinette to act natural about something while Adrien was the one turning into a tomato. 

Oh, how the tides have changed.

“Adrien, are you okay?” Marinette pulled him out of his thoughts. She genuinely looked concerned, which made his blush deepen. So much for trying to incorporate Chat into his daily life. Maybe he would have been better testing it out on someone else. 

But this was Marinette.  
Marinette, who was always willing to lend a hand or an ear. Marinette, who never judged and saw the best in everyone. Marinette, who he liked to believe saw the real him.  
Why give up after one battle? There was still the war to win. 

“You know, I think I’m just having an off day. Sorry, I’m usually more eloquent than this.” A sudden courage flooded through Adrien. Marinette merely flashed him a very forgiving and understanding smile.

“Nothing to forgive, Adrien.” She smiled again. Everything she did just blew Adrien away. How was she so full of good and kindness? Even when she’d barely been able to form a sentence around Adrien, she was steadfastly kind. Today she was more coherent than usual, and Adrien felt just how much she cared for him and everyone around them. 

Alya and Nino quietly watched their friends’ exchange from the side, but not without a few sideward glances. 

The warning bell rang, causing both Adrien and Marinette to jolt. 

“We better get going,” She suggested. He nodded and the two turned to their friends, waving a temporary goodbye.

“What was THAT? You’re never this coherent around him!” Alya hissed, unknowing to the fact that Adrien heard her every word. He smiled lightly and turned back to Nino, whose eyebrows were so high that they were hidden by the brim of his hat.

“Dude, I’ve never seen you that tongue-tied!” His look of astonishment quickly turned into a smirk, which Adrien shrugged off. 

“It’s been a weird couple of days,” Adrien admitted.

“I know. You’ve seemed a bit off. Is everything alright now? Do you want to talk about it?” Nino seemed relieved that he finally found a way to bring it up. Adrien smiled at his best friend, grateful for his concern.

“No,” Adrien shook his head, “I talked to someone already. They really helped me out.” 

“It was a girl wasn’t it?” Nino accused, his eyes flashing toward Marinette.

“How did you know?” Adrien was genuinely curious.

“That smile on your face, dude. It’s very obvious.” Nino’s gaze flitted to Marinette again, but he didn’t press the matter. 

On his lunch break, Adrien excused himself and went to the roof to video call his father in order to clear Pierre’s name from the incident the other day. He had tried to reach his father right after the Akuma attack, but he hadn’t answered. Adrien figured this would be the best time to call him. Plus, it wouldn’t be a lie to say that Adrien had been so focused on how to become more of himself that he forgot to call his father again. Plagg quickly hid right before Adrien began the call. 

Luckily, Gabriel Agreste picked up on the fourth ring. He sat in a chair with a white walled background, so Adrien couldn’t pick out any details that might tell him what country his father was in. 

“Yes, Adrien?” His father held a straight face, getting straight to the point.

“Father, I heard you fired Pierre for the broken window. It wasn’t his fault.” If Gabriel was going to get right at it, so was Adrien. Gabriel Agreste appraised his son’s determined facial expression and cocked an eyebrow. 

“Do you care to explain?”

“I’m the one who broke the window,” Adrien confessed. His father’s other eyebrow rose.

“And how did you manage to do that?”

“I was playing around with my fencing stuff. I called you the following day but you didn’t answer.” Silence fell. Adrien watched his father think for a moment before his facial expression turned colder than usual.

“I’m disappointed in you Adrien. This is why we have an in-home gym, so accidents like this don’t happen. I fear that public school is getting to you. One more slip-up like this and I will withdraw you from school. I will notify Pierre of the error. Goodbye.” Gabriel Agreste abruptly hung up, not even leaving his son time to apologize, not that he wanted to after hearing his father’s threat. Anger bubbled up within Adrien. How could his father blame Adrien’s accident on public school? If anything, Gabriel himself was to be blamed. Adrien threw his phone across the roof out of spite and closed his eyes, waiting to hear the satisfying crunch, but it never came. 

Adrien’s eyes flew open, only to see that Marinette had caught his phone. She stood by the door to the roof, eyes wide with the same surprise Adrien felt. 

“M-Marinette?” Adrien called out, his anger temporary replaced by astonishment. 

“Good thing I came when I did. I was able to spare your phone from an impending doom.” She smiled lightly and walked toward him, closing the door behind her. Adrien watched her wordlessly as she shyly shuffled over to him and sat down next him, back also against the wall. 

“I knew you weren’t really alright. Do you want to talk about it?” She began.

“How did you know?” He ignored her question.

“You weren’t as confident as you normally are. And honestly, it was in your eyes.” She sighed. 

“My eyes?” It was the same thing she had told Chat Noir. 

“Yeah, I see the hidden pain,” She briefly explained. “Do you want to talk about it?” She repeated. Adrien turned his gaze to her fully, debating whether he should talk to her as Adrien. There was a big chance she might catch him as Chat Noir if he wasn’t careful. But who else would calm his anger? 

“It’s my father, who else?” He finally sighed, burying his head in his knees. Marinette hummed, letting him know it was okay to continue.

“He’s been blaming my mistakes on public school and threatened to take me out if I make another mistake. I’m not perfect! How am I supposed to be perfect?” He let out a deep breath, one he realized he’d been holding for a long time. 

“You’re allowed to make mistakes, Adrien. You’re only human.” Marinette told him softly. His head whipped up and he turned toward her, wide-eyed.

“Not according to the perfect Gabriel Agreste! I’ve never been enough for him.” He groaned. Marinette pouted and her eyebrows knitted together in concern. She seemed to be struggling with her response.

“I have this... friend. He’s in a very similar situation to you. I’ll tell you what I told him-- It’s time to live for YOU, Adrien. Not your dad. Even if that means showing him that you’re in charge of your own life.” They held each other’s gaze for several seconds before Adrien blinked. Talking to Marinette as Adrien had been a good idea after all. She could only see so much of him when he was Chat Noir, but now she saw the whole picture. He knew she was talking about Chat Noir, even if she didn’t. 

“Thank you, Marinette. That’s exactly what I needed to hear.” He sighed again and rubbed his face. He didn’t see Marinette’s eyes widen. That’s exactly what Chat had said to her.   
“You’re welcome.” She found the Marinette-auto-pilot taking over. 

“Somehow, I’m going to show him that I’m my own person, not a toy to be controlled. And I’m definitely not perf-” Adrien was cut off by the warning bell, signaling the end of lunch. Adrien hadn’t even had the chance to eat yet. Marinette smiled back knowingly and handed him back his phone, as well as a brown paper bag.

“I saw you hadn’t eaten yet, so there’s a croissant and some desserts from my parent’s bakery in there. I’ll tell the teacher you’re in the bathroom so you have some time to eat.” Marinette heaved herself up off the ground and headed toward the door, smiling one more time before Adrien could even thank her. 

It was stuff like this that Marinette did that really made Adrien wish he didn’t love Ladybug as much as he did. Though, with his new relationship with Marinette as Chat Noir, his love for Ladybug did seem to be diminishing. 

Adrien opened the brown paper sack and started to munch, thinking about his complicated relationship with both his father and Ladybug. He wished Ladybug would talk to him about civilian life. He wished his partner would give him the time of day. 

How could he show his father that he would take charge of his own life? So many questions swirled through his head over the last few days. He just felt downright confused, and it left him emotionally exhausted. 

Adrien let his auto-pilot take over for the rest of the day. He tried not to think too much and to focus on the class lecture. He tried not to notice Marinette glancing at him during breaks. He pretended not to notice Nino’s worried glance, and the whispered exchanges between Nino, Alya, and Marinette. 

“See ya tomorrow,” He called out to his friends as soon as the Gorilla showed up. All he wanted to do was go home and sleep.

But sleep never came. Six hours later and not a wink. Now that he was alone, his mind was on fire. Not once in his life had he faced an emotional meltdown such as this, not even when his mom left. He no longer wanted to be alone. 

“Plagg.” Adrien called out to the Kwami who had been patiently observing Adrien from his dresser while chomping on some cheese. His eyes met Adrien’s and he immediately knew what he wanted.

“Adrien, you can’t keep running away,” Plagg told him, unusually serious. Adrien said nothing but continued to stare down Plagg. And then Plagg saw it-- the pain Marinette had mentioned. It was unusual for Adrien to act like this, so letting him transform wouldn’t be so wrong this time. 

“Alright. Let’s go.” Plagg sighed. He knew Adrien and Chat needed Marinette right now. 

“Plagg, claws out!” Adrien managed to muster some enthusiasm into the command, and next thing he knew Plagg flew into his ring, transforming him into his escape. Adrien closed his eyes through the transformation, waiting for the feeling of freedom to course through his veins. The feeling did come, but the distraught anger he felt was still present. 

Chat flew out the bedroom window, hoping that the negative feelings would be left behind too. Chat took the long way to Marinette’s rooftop, wondering if he should even go. She had given him great advice earlier-- why couldn’t he just accept it and have it be enough to make him happy again?

"You need a hug, Adrien." Plagg’s voice echoed in his head. 

"Yeah, I do." Adrien agreed. Finally decided, he made his way to Marinette’s rooftop and rapped three times on her trap door. 

“Come in, Kitty.” Marinette hummed from below. Chat was grateful for his advanced hearing. He grabbed the latch and lowered himself onto her bed, hoping the shoes of his suit didn’t leave any marks. Marinette was at her desk, furiously sketching something. 

“Hold on Kitty, I had a sudden stroke of inspiration and I’ve just got to finish one more thing.” She held up one finger, then resumed her sketch. Chat looked around her room, which was slightly more disastrous than usual. Little scraps of fabric were littered all over the place, along with needles and thread and scissors. Marinette had been busy.

“What are you so furiously creating, Princess?” Chat hoped he sounded nonchalant. 

“Secret,” Marinette replied, setting down her pencil and closing her sketchbook with a snap. 

She turned her full and undivided attention to Chat and immediately noticed that his whole demeanor was completely off. His shoulders were stiff, his brow knitted together, and his ears drooping slightly. 

“Oh, Kitty.” She sighed, getting out of her chair and pulling him to her bed. 

“Sit,” She instructed, once again taking the blankets out from under her bed. She dropped one over his shoulders and then went to her closet to collect her pajamas.

“Stay here. I’ll be right back.” She told him, rushing off to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Chat sat obediently, allowing his shoulders to hunch slightly in physical and emotional exhaustion. 

Marinette was back within five minutes, hair down and brushed and clad in pajamas. Chat found himself flushing slightly. He’d never seen her with her hair down. 

“We’re going to sleep.” She told him, grabbing her own blanket and pushing him down into a sleeping position, but not before she locked her door. She didn’t want to risk her parents coming in. When she laid next to him, she took the time to appraise his state. She had never seen her partner feeling down for this long, nor had she ever seen him look so completely exhausted. His eyes looked so sad.

“Come here,” She commanded, wiggling her arms under him and pulling him into her embrace. She almost shivered when he placed his hands on her back. His gloves were cold, even through her pajamas. 

“I’m sorry.” He apologized, voice very weak. 

“Hey, don’t apologize. It’s okay.” Marinette patted his cheek, scooting up so she could see his face better. 

“I’m so weak.” He groaned. Marinette flicked his nose.

“Ow.” He scrunched his nose in discomfort.

“Stop beating yourself up. You’re allowed to have bad days. So just shut up and let’s mope this out.” 

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re the greatest?” 

“A few people, though I haven’t had the honor to hear Chat Noir tell me until this very moment.” She grinned. Her grin fell quickly with Chat Noir’s sudden crestfallen gaze.

“Really Princess, thank you.” He leaned down and kissed her softly for a moment, before pulling back. He wasn’t really sure what came over him, except for that he was very grateful to Marinette at that moment and he was very sure he liked her. He was also very sure that he loved her reactions. Even in the dark, he could tell she was bright red as she started sputtering.

“Shut up and let’s mope this out.” He chuckled and threw her words right back at her. Marinette didn’t have a retort so she simply buried her head in his chest to try to spare herself some embarrassment. 

And that was how they fell asleep.  
\----  
"...Drien. Adrien. ADRIEN!" Plagg’s voice startled Adrien awake like an alarm. 

It’s six in the morning! You need to go home so you can get ready for school! Adrien held in a groan, trying to decipher the meaning behind Plagg’s words. He still hadn’t opened his eyes. He was much too warm.

"Doofus! You’re in Marinette’s bed! Go home!" Adrien’s eyes flashed open and he stared down at the girl sleeping soundly in his arms. He couldn’t help but smile. She always knew what he needed. 

Adrien slowly lifted his arms off of her and slid off her bed, being careful not to move. He placed the blanket on top of her and went to her desk to scribble a note, and then carefully proceeded to the ladder. Unfortunately, he let the trap door shut with a huge thud, and he heard Marinette yelp below. Cursing, Chat stood stock-still, waiting to see if she would go back to bed. It wasn’t very light out yet, after all. 

“Tiki?” He heard Marinette call out in the faint light of dawn. “Where’s Chat Noir?”

“He just barely left. He left you a note.” A little voice echoed. What the...

Chat let his curiosity get the best of him, and he slowly lowered himself off the roof so he could peer through her window, which was slightly cracked. Adrien watched Marinette stride over to her desk and pick up his note, but his attention was drawn to a small red blob floating right above the desk. 

“All he drew was a paw print.” Marinette pouted and complained to the little creature. Chat’s eyes widened as he realized what it was. A Kwami. A ladybug Kwami, to be precise. A small gasp left his mouth, and the creature’s eyes flew to Chat Noir, a look of horror befalling her. 

Chat panicked and motioned for the Kwami (Marinette had called her Tiki?) to remain quiet. The look quickly disappeared from Tiki’s face and she nodded. She trusted Chat Noir. 

Chat slowly lowered himself down to the first story and then to the ground, taking off toward the Agreste Mansion.

It all made sense. No wonder Marinette had cried for him. No wonder she looked so guilty when she talked about Ladybug. No wonder she talked as if she understood ladybug. The truth was, Marinette was Ladybug. Wonderful, charming, confident Ladybug, mixed with Sweet, compassionate, helpful Marinette. It couldn’t get better than that. Chat felt a grin spreading across his face for the first time in days. He had found her, and he’d kissed her. He’d kissed Ladybug, Marinette! It was perfect. Marinette was the only one who made him feel like he was more than enough. 

And now it was Adrien’s turn to win her heart.


	4. Infinitely Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Chat Noir and Ladybug discover a lot of new things.  
> Basically, the big reveal.
> 
> Word Count: 4773

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated earlier than I thought I would be able to! Enjoy. Or cry. Either one.

Marinette frowned at the clouds above her but was glad she was already on the steps to the school so she wouldn’t have to deal with the foreboding rain. Tikki was on high alert today, for reasons unknown, and it made Marinette feel on edge too. 

It had been a whole five days since she had seen Chat Noir. It would have been nice to know he was okay, especially after the meltdown that he had. Five days of silence were killing her. Was he okay? She half hoped for an Akuma attack so she could see him. 

With a sigh, she continued to stare daggers at the clouds. Of course, her glaring at the clouds nearly made her crash into Adrien. Just her luck. 

“Good morning Marinette.” Adrien sent her a friendly wave and a smile. Marinette shyly waved back as she stifled a yawn. 

“Long night?” Adrien was curious to see how she had been doing without him.

Nathalie had taken Adrien out of classes for two days for several unexpected photoshoots, not giving him much time to visit Marinette. It had definitely taken a toll on his mood, especially when he heard his father had extended his trip and that there was a chance Adrien would be shuffled around like this in the meantime. 

“N-no, I slept really well. I might have even gotten too much sleep.” Marinette’s shy smile never faded. Adrien had to stop himself from smirking. So she slept really well? The bags under her eyes said otherwise. Had she been worrying about him (Chat Noir)? 

“Are you sure Marinette? You look really tired. Have you been stressed about something? Or maybe someone?” Adrien grinned, prying for a reaction. 

“Y-yeah. I haven’t heard from a friend of mine in a few days and I’m worried.” Marinette agreed. She was worried, after all. 

“I’m sure you’ll hear from him soon. You could always call him?” Adrien suggested.

“He’s a little hard to get in touch with.” Marinette sighed. Adrien held the door to the school and allowed her to enter.

“I hope he hasn’t turned into an Akuma!” Adrien faked horror, but Marinette saw through his facade. She giggled and shook his head.

“Honestly, I think that’s quite impossible.” 

“I don’t think anyone’s exempt. Except for maybe Chat Noir. Is your friend Chat Noir?” A look of satisfaction grew on Adrien’s face when Marinette turned pink. Success. 

“Funny, Adrien! Of course not. Anyways, we better get into class! The bell is about to ring!” Marinette entered the classroom ahead of him, extremely flustered, while Adrien just chuckled. He just had to keep up this hinting game, and Marinette would see for sure that he was Chat Noir. 

Adrien spent most of class trying to brainstorm hints he could drop to Marinette. He hardly even noticed that the lunch bell rang until Nino poked him (extremely hard) in the side. Nino cracked up and Adrien just glared. He checked behind him for Marinette, disappointed to see she was already gone. 

“Alya and Mari went down to the cafeteria. Want to meet them there?” Nino suggested with a glint in his eyes. Since when had Nino called Marinette ‘Mari’? The nickname bothered Adrien, but he shook it off. 

“Sure thing.” Adrien agreed, and the two boys headed down the stairs.  
Alya and Marinette were already seated, Alya trying to make conversation with a very distracted Marinette. She was, however, distracted by nothing in particular. She was simply staring out the window. 

“Marinette I can feel it!” Tikki whispered, both girls on high alert. Hawkmoth was near. Tikki could tell. Couldn’t Plagg? Maybe he was too busy eating cheese. Tikki cursed him.

“Now!” Tikki screeched and was heard by Alya.

“Now? What’s now?” Alya snapped her fingers, grabbing Marinette’s attention just as the two boys arrived.

“I’ve got to go right now! I forgot some homework!” Marinette ran out of the cafeteria without a backward glance, leaping into action. 

“The usual.” Alya sighed, motioning for Adrien and Nino to sit. 

“She’s always forgetting something, huh?” Nino agreed. He and Alya continued to converse, but Adrien was too distracted. He’d seen that look before. The look on Marinette’s face as she took off was completely Ladybug. But surely he would hear if there was an Akuma attack?

Marinette fled down the steps of the school and ran for several blocks, hardly noticing the drops of rain that periodically followed her. Under Tikki’s instructions, she transformed behind the nearest secluded building and scaled up its side, beginning her glide across the rooftops of Paris. 

Closer. Closer. Closer. She slowed down her pace until she saw a suspicious figure in a trench coat. It was him! Tikki was screaming inside her head. Marinette dropped down to the pavement a block away in order to get a closer look. 

Of course, the first thing she noticed was his designer shoes. Agreste brand, to be more specific. As her eyes traveled up the man who was walking at a brisk pace, she noticed all of his clothes were designer indeed. And the person wearing them? Well, he was the designer himself. 

What was Gabriel Agreste doing in the middle of Paris? Not that Marinette blamed him for wearing a disguise if he wanted some alone time... but wasn’t he supposed to be abroad? 

Hawkmoth.

Was it possible that he was her greatest enemy? She had to find out. By now it was raining, which made it harder to follow Gabriel. With the threat of her footsteps making noise, she had to be extra careful. She decided to pursue by rooftop, as that was her best bet to staying hidden. 

She followed Gabriel for several blocks until he entered an old building, one that appeared to not have been used for years. It had a big, clear, stain-glass style window in the center. Marinette clambered onto the roof, wondering what her next move was. She desperately searched the roof for a way in when she spotted a trap door and opened it as quietly as possible, hoping it would lead her to the rafters of the building. Thank her lucky spots she was right. 

Mr. Agreste entered into the large room, causing several butterflies to scatter in his wake. Marinette had to hold in a gasp. A room full of butterflies. A large window. It was all coming together.

And then the impossible happened.

Gabriel Agreste’s costume grew with his body out of nowhere, just like Ladybug’s when she transformed. Marinette desperately begged her mind to remember as many details as possible. If he had a Kwami to transform with, it meant that he had a Miraculous too. Aside from cape, cane, and shoes, Marinette couldn’t see anything on him. Until he turned around, that is. That’s when she saw his pin (or was it a brooch?). It had butterfly wings. 

“Ah, Monsieur. Life’s unfair, isn’t it? Those students take your hard work for granted. After all the time you’ve spent making them food, this is how they thank you? I am Hawkmoth, and you are The Sandwich Maker. Shall I help you teach these kids a lesson in nutrition?” He suddenly spoke, in a voice very unlike anything Marinette had heard come from the mouth of Gabriel Agreste. Her jaw dropped. So this was how the Akuma attacks started? Knowing her luck, it would be the sandwich maker at her school. Time to leave. Marinette quietly hoisted herself out the trap door (which she had left open) and shut it as quietly as possible, getting away as fast as her legs could carry her. 

Adrien wasn’t faring any better. The students in the cafeteria fled as their delusional sandwich maker threw random deli meats at them, tying some students to chairs and tables, and some sandwiched to walls. Adrien had been lucky enough to jump into a janitor’s closet so he could transform. He was currently dodging through the ultimate food fight, waiting for Ladybug to appear. He kept an eye open, trying to locate the Akuma. The Sandwich Maker seemed to be animating the food with the ties of his apron. 

Only a minute later she showed up, completely soaked by the rain. He knew it! Marinette had run out on Ladybug business. 

“Fill me in kitty!” She demanded, using her yoyo as a shield from the food.

“Well, I’ve been here dodging random deli food for about five minutes. That’s it. Oh, and I think the Akuma is in his apron.” 

“Good observation.” She agreed, seemingly distracted, but was cut off by a scream. She had been caught by one of the apron strings, which looked as if it were pulsing with electricity. Ladybug screamed again, a sound which shook Chat Noir to the very core. 

No, no, no! Not Ladybug. He could take his own pain, but not hers. Never hers. That’s why he always took the hits. He couldn’t stand seeing her hurt.  
He leaped into action immediately, throwing his staff right at the Sandwich Maker and causing him to topple over. The apron released Ladybug, who let out a raspy sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Chat.” She breathed as he helped her up to her feet. Her body ached, still throbbing with the string of being shocked. Before she could turn back to the Akuma however, he pulled her into a hug. 

“Ladybug, whatever’s going on in your head, you can’t let it distract you now. You’re going to get yourself killed, or at least seriously injured. My heart can’t take another round of you being electrocuted. Let’s end this, and then we can talk.” She’d seen Chat Noir cry for hours, she’d seen him angry, but his pain always seemed to be the worst when it came to her own pain. 

“I’m sorry Chat, you’re right. Let’s finish this quickly. We need to talk.” He let her go and nodded, lunging at the Sandwich Maker so he could be the distraction while Ladybug thought of a plan.

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug was graced with a pair of scissors, and she knew what to do without a moment’s hesitation. She used Chat Noir’s distraction and shuffled around to the back of the sandwich maker, cutting his apron strings and ending the attack in the fastest Ladybug-Chat Noir victory in history. Quickly cleansing the Akuma, she released it and used “Miraculous Ladybug!” to fix everything up. Chat Noir watched in pure curiosity, wondering what had Marinette so worked up. Had she figured out his identity? 

Marinette dragged Chat Noir out of the cafeteria and into the stairwell before the students could return.

“Roof. Now.” She knew she only had minutes to tell him before her transformation wore off. They climbed the stairs in silence, Chat trying to figure her out. 

“Ladybug, it’s raining, shouldn’t we stay here?” 

“We can’t risk being overheard. This is important.” She threw open the door to the roof, and they walked out into the middle, water spraying them in the process. 

“Chat Noir, something happened earlier today.” Ah, so she was going to explain why she just ran off.

“Continue.” He nodded. 

The rain soaked Ladybug as she frantically tried to explain what she just saw. She sucked in a deep breath and began her tale. 

“Look, Chat Noir, I-I’m going crazy! I just saw Gabriel Agreste wearing a trench coat and he looked suspicious. Apparently he’s supposed to be out of town! So I followed him and... I found him Chat. I found Hawkmoth. He’s Gabriel Agreste.” Ladybug struggled to get her words together, too shocked for any eloquence. The man she had looked up to as a fashion role model for so many years, he was actually her enemy. 

Ladybug was about to ask if Chat knew who Gabriel Agreste was when she caught the look on his face. 

Chat Noir was absolutely frozen. His eyes were wide and his posture stiff, something Marinette was all too familiar with as of late. 

“Chat?” Ladybug called softly. When he didn’t respond, she called his name again. 

“I have to go,” Chat whispered, suddenly springing into action and leaping to the rooftop nearest the building they were on.

“Chat!” Ladybug screamed, to no avail. He was long gone. 

She let out a frustrated sigh and took out her yoyo to track Chat. What else could she do? She didn’t understand what was going through that head of his. Did he know Gabriel Agreste personally? Is that why he had reacted so badly? She watched for a good three minutes until he finally stopped at a park near her house, then swung across the city until she tumbled into the park, releasing her transformation.

Chat noir lay across a bench with an arm over his eyes. His breathing was erratic, something close to heaving as he tried to choke back his sobs.

All the betrayal he’d felt from his father was nothing compared to what he felt now. Gabriel was always the tyrannical villain in Adrien’s life, and he was only beginning to see how really true that was. Gabriel Agreste tried to hurt people. Gabriel Agreste tried to steal his son’s powers. Gabriel Agreste tried to hurt the girl Adrien loved. 

“Chat Noir?” He heard Marinette’s voice call from a few feet away. He shouldn’t have been surprised that she followed him. He couldn’t control his breath enough to reply. Marinette sighed again, taking in the sight of her helpless kitty. Of all the bad nights of his she’d seen, this was by far the worst. She sat in the empty space right above his head, then lifted his head so she could slide her lap underneath. She felt Chat coil into the warmth of her body. 

“Ladybug sent me. Chat Noir, what happened?” She stroked his head in hopes of calming him slightly. It took Chat Noir several raspy breaths before he could respond. 

“He’s my father, Marinette. Hawkmoth is my father.” Chat cried out. Marinette blinked.

“Your father? Then--”

“ P-plagg, release transformation.” Chat stuttered, cutting Marinette off. In the blink of an eye, Adrien Agreste lay in front of Marinette before her brain could even process what he had said. A little black creature flopped into Marinette’s shirt with a soft thump, groaning all the while. Chat Noir’s Kwami. 

Marinette hurriedly scooped up the little creature and plopped him into her purse next to Tikki where hopefully he would stay warm, then turned her attention back to the boy on her lap. 

To say she was shocked would be an understatement. Marinette’s thoughts were as scattered as the rain that fell on her head, as she flashed through so many different realizations and emotions. She’d kissed Adrien Agreste! She tried to tell her brain to worry about it later. Because right now Chat Noir, no, Adrien was hurting. This moment needed every moment of her concentration. 

“Oh, Adrien,” She whispered, cradling his head in her arms. She found her own eyes welling up with tears as she was finally able to fully comprehend Chat Noir’s situation. His own father was their greatest enemy. His own father didn’t care if he lived or died. Adrien’s eyes peered out from under his arm, hiding his own tears. He was shocked to see Marinette crying too. It was so unlike the Ladybug part of her to cry. 

“I’m so sorry Adrien.” She sobbed with him, leaning down and placing a kiss on his forehead. 

“I promise it’ll be okay. We’ll figure this out.” With those words, Adrien broke out into full sobs. They sat there in the rain for several minutes, getting closer and closer to being soaked to the bone. Only Adrien’s shivers alerted Marinette to the effect the rain may have on both of them.

“Come on Adrien, it’s pouring out here. Let’s get you home.” She offered.

“NO! I-I can’t go back. Not now.” He gasped in agony. He took his arm away from his eyes, wide and full of tears. Marinette quickly looked for a solution.

“Okay, c-come on Adrien. I’ll take you back to my house again.”

“Okay.” He agreed. sitting up and wiping his eyes. He felt so utterly drained. He stood up and offered Marinette a hand, still ever the gentleman even in spite of the current situation. She lightly accepted his offer and he pulled her to her feet, immediately wrapping an arm around her waist and leaning on her shoulder for support as if he were about to fall apart. She too wrapped an arm around his middle, and they began their silent walk to the Dupein Cheng Bakery. She felt Adrien start to drag as they got closer, perhaps from exhaustion, and tried to pick up the pace.

The bakery bell tinkled and Sabine’s eyes snapped over to the door. Why would someone come during this horrible storm? 

“Maman, no time to explain.” Marinette rushed through the bakery, completely soaked to the bone, boy in tow. Sabine’s eyes widened but she merely nodded at the look of intensity on her daughter’s face. Sabine quickly glanced at Adrien. 

“Hurry, papa is in the kitchen and he won’t hear you if you go now,” Sabine warned. She could tell something had greatly shaken up the boy. With the way he was clinging to her daughter, Sabine knew that only Marinette could help him now. She wouldn’t tell her husband that Adrien was here. 

“Thank you, Maman,” Marinette called over her shoulder as she almost dragged Adrien up the stairs. She dropped him onto her bed as soon as they got through the door, and started to walk away so she could get them some towels.

“Wait! Please, don’t leave me.” He pleaded, catching her wrist before she got too far. 

“Adrien, we are soaked to the bone. I at least need to get us some towels.” She argued, torn by the desperation in his tone. 

“Please hurry.” He agreed after a moment, dropping her wrist in defeat. She vowed to never make him let her go again if that was how he would react. After letting Tikki and Chat Noir’s Kwami out of her purse and instructing them to go sneak some food, she fled to the bathroom and grabbed one of her dad’s extra t-shirts on the shelf, throwing on her own t-shirt and shorts as quickly as she could. She let down her hair, grabbed two towels and one more pair of basketball shorts for Adrien, then hustled back to her room. Adrien was in the exact same position as when she’d left him.

“Come here kitty.” She cooed, dropping the clothes on the floor and opening up a towel so she could dry his hair. He obediently leaned into her touch and allowed her to dry his hair in soft, circular motions. She moved slowly and deliberately, fearing she would break him.

“You’ve got to get out of those clothes,” She told him. They were stuck to his skin. Adrien made a noncommittal noise, and she sighed, knowing she was going to have to play nurse. 

“Arms up.” She instructed, and he obliged. She pulled off his over-shirt and then his t-shirt, trying not to get distracted by shirtless Adrien. Now was so not the moment. She threw her dad’s t-shirt over his head and pulled it on. Getting his jeans off was a little more difficult, especially with Adrien being so non-responsive. Finally, though not without difficulty, she had dressed Adrien in dry clothes and managed to towel off both of their heads. With the towels discarded on the ground and blankets wrapped around both of them as usual, Marinette sat down and faced Adrien, who was simply staring at his hands. 

“Adrien...” She started, unsure where to go from here. 

“He’s been trying to hurt you, Marinette.” Hawkmoth was trying to hurt Marinette? That didn’t make sense. Unless...

“What are you talking about?” She decided to pry.

“He’s been trying to steal our Miraculouses all this time.” Adrien started to play with his hands. 

“Y-you know?” Marinette gasped. Adrien nodded.

“Only since last week.”

“How?”

“Right as I left in the morning, I heard you talking to someone, and it ended up being Tikki...” Marinette frowned, staring down at her own hands. Did she really have to be careful in her own room? Her sanctuary? She jumped when Adrien grabbed her hands in his, still ice cold. 

“I didn’t mean to betray your trust, I swear. I know you didn’t want us knowing each other’s identities. It was an accident.” She met his eyes, shining with sincerity, no matter how drained he looked. 

“I know Adrien. It’s okay.” 

“It’s really not Marinette. I’m sorry. This whole month has just been... I don’t even know. I feel so weak. I should be stronger than this. I wish you hadn’t seen me at my worst all those times.” He remorsed. Marinette squeezed his hands.

“Shhh, kitty. I’m honored to be the only one who has seen those moments, and I still see you the same in spite of it.” Adrien let out a congested laugh, likely due to all the crying. 

“How are you even being coherent with me right now? Is it because you know I’m Cat Noir?” 

“Maybe.” Marinette agreed with a sad smile. Adrien just didn’t seem as intimidating as he used too, all the sudden. Their relationship just felt more intimate than that. 

“Why did you always stutter around me?” He pressed. Marinette sighed. She decided to lay all her cards on the table, because that’s what was going to have to happen, especially in regards to Hawkmoth. 

“Because I’ve been in love with you for a long time, silly. And a certain Black Cat has recently caught my interest. If he’d been paying attention, he might have noticed that I began to stutter around him too.” She looked away, not wanting to see his eyes. She knew how he felt for Ladybug, and that he kissed Marinette, but now that he knew who she really was, she wasn’t sure he’d feel the same. 

“That’s good to hear, because a certain aspiring designer caught my eye recently, even while I’ve been in love with Ladybug this whole time.” Adrien was grinning by the time Marinette had finished blinking rapidly, trying to decipher her own thoughts. 

“So basically, we’ve been in love with each other this whole time?” Marinette confirmed. 

“Seems so.” Adrien smiled softly, stroking Marinette’s hand with his thumb and giving her little butterflies in her stomach. It felt like a dream, having Adrien Agreste confess that he was in love with her. Her dream was interrupted with he suddenly raised his eyebrows in alarm.

“Plagg!” He called out, suddenly fearing for his Kwami.

“Right here, Adrien. Marinette stuffed me into her purse to keep me safe.” Plagg zoomed out from Tikki’s hiding spot in the bookshelf, covered in cookie crumbs. 

“Plagg... did you actually eat something other than cheese?” Adrien accused somewhat teasingly. The little Kwami pouted and shuffled in the air, looking ashamed.

“It’s all Tikki and I could steal without Marinette’s mom noticing! And the cookies aren’t that bad.” He mumbled. 

“See? I told you cookies were good.” Tikki settled right next to Plagg, a small smile on her face.

“Nice to officially meet you Chat Noir. I put my trust in you, Adrien.” Tikki giggled and zoomed around Adrien’s head.

“Nice to meet you too, Tikki. You’re much cuter up close.” He smiled.

“Wait, Tikki, you knew that he saw me?” Marinette groaned. Tikki just giggled again. 

“And I’m Plagg. Thanks for helping me out back there Marinette.” Plagg made himself right at home on Marinette’s shoulder, looking sleepy. 

“Adrien?” Marinette called his attention back.

“Yes, my lady?” 

“We need to talk about Hawkmoth.” His happy expression suddenly turned sullen, and Marinette cursed herself for bringing it up. It had to be done. 

“What are we going to do Marinette?” Adrien’s eyes crinkled, looking to her as if she held all the answers in the world. When he looked at her like that, Marinette just wanted to kiss him and tell him it would all be okay, even if she wasn’t so sure. For the millionth time that day she let out a sigh and adjusted their hands, intertwining her fingers with his. 

“I don’t know, kitty cat. We’ve got the jump on Hawkmoth. He doesn’t know who we are, but we know who he is. So we do some recon. When I saw him, he had a pin on his costume that makes me think that he has a Kwami too-- a Miraculous of his own. We just have to get that, and then Gabriel Agreste can’t hurt people anymore... at least not as Hawkmoth.” She frowned as she realized that stopping Hawkmoth wouldn’t mean that Gabriel would stop hurting his son over and over. 

“A Miraculous is doing this? Is that possible Tikki?” Adrien asked the little Kwami.

“Hey! I’m right here!” Plagg groaned sleepily, not appreciating that Adrien overpassed his own Kwami. Adrien ignored him. 

“We’ve... uh. You guys, to tell you the truth, Ladybug and Chat Noir have always had to resort to killing Hawkmoth. I’ve always sensed another Kwami with him, but I’ve never been able to do anything about it until now...” Tikki looked as perplexed as they did. 

“Tikki, I can’t kill my own father.” 

“And you won’t have to. I think Marinette’s plan will work.” Tikki’s eyes moved over to Plagg, who was dead asleep on Marinette’s shoulder.

“I’ll take this one to my space so he can sleep. You two still need to talk. We can talk more in the morning.” TIkki rolled her eyes as she hoisted Plagg from Marinette and flew off to the bookshelf. 

“Marinette, are you really okay with me being Chat Noir?” Adrien asked once Tikki had disappeared.

“Why would you even ask that?” Her bluebell eyes bore into his jade ones, and he wanted to melt. Why hadn’t he ever pieced together that she was Ladybug? 

“People don’t see that I’m Chat Noir because they don’t want me to be. I’m supposed to be the golden child, Model protege of Gabriel Agreste.” 

“I see you, Adrien. I see you for all you really are. And I love you. I don’t care how you’re supposed to be. All I care about is who you are here and now. You are infinitely enough. Though, I could very well throw that question back in your face. Are you really okay with me being Ladybug? Marinette who has no confidence? Unlike Adrien, who has confidence as strong as Chat Noir’s?” She pushed her free hand against his chest as if trying to put up a wall between them. Adrien would have none of that. 

“I see you Marinette. And I love you. I don’t care if you don’t think you measure up because all I care about is who you are here and now.” Adrien grinned back, throwing her words right back at her. The ball was in her court. 

“You really do love me? Boring old me? Not just Ladybug?” She looked skeptical. 

“Of course you silly girl. You’re the only one who has ever seen me for who I really am, and how lucky I am for that.” He breathed, leaning in and capturing her lips. He leaned in, tasting her, caressing her cheek, and feeling complete bliss all the while. How could he feel so many different emotions in one day? One moment he’s in complete agony, and the next, ecstasy. Only Marinette could turn his mood around like this. Especially when she kissed him back the way she did. 

“Mari.” Adrien groaned when it started to get rough. He couldn’t ignore how much leg was exposed because of her pajama shorts. 

“Oops!” She giggled, pulling back with a big streak of red highlighting her cheeks. 

“You’re beautiful.” Adrien huskily chuckled, stroking her cheek. 

“And I’m really glad I didn’t take you home tonight, handsome.” She swatted his chest and giggled again. Music to his ears. 

“Honestly Mari, it’s going to take a while before I think I can face my father. He’s supposed to be coming back to town in a few days.” Adrien pouted, resting his forehead against Marinette’s. 

“We can face him together, Adrien. You’re not alone anymore. I’m sorry for making you wait for so long.” Marinette pulled back a fraction of a hair so she could kiss his cheek. 

“Together then.” He agreed, before capturing her lips again, the lips that he vowed would be his until his dying day.


End file.
